Spectator protector

ABSTRACT

A protective garment enclosing the lower portion of a person employing the device such as a spectator at an outdoor winter sporting event or other persons subjected to cold climatic conditions. The protector is generally in the nature of the lower half of a sleeping bag and includes a pillow structure incorporated into the seat area thereof, a slide-type fastener in the front to facilitate use of the garment and a carrying case into which the garment may be folded to serve as a cushion when the protector is not needed.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Harry B. Povey 1555 Via Hermann, San Lorenlo, Calif. 94580 (21] Appl. No. 85l,007 [22] Filed Aug. I8, 1969 [45] Patented Aug.l0,l97l

[$4] SPECTATOR PROTECTOR 4 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 2/69 [5|] lnLCl Adld 13/00 [50] Field oISearch 2/69, 69.5, 22, 2; 246/8 I [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l,9l5,044 6/l933 Anderson 2/69 ,I I8 48 Z 32' f 50 l l I a 20 l l 2,l46,400 2/l939 Maker et al 2/69 2,2 30,689 2/ l 941 Kemp 2/69 2,705,325 4/1955 Bogenberger 2/69 3,228,034 1/1966 Grove n 2/6975 3,329,971 7/1967 Shelby 2/69 Primary ExaminerH. Hampton Hunter Attorneys-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson ABSTRACT: A protective garment enclosing the lower por tion of a person employing the device such as a spectator at an outdoor winter sporting event or other persons subjected to cold climatic conditions. The protector is generally in the nature of the lower half of a sleeping bag and includes a pillow structure incorporated into the seat area thereof, a slide-type fastener in the front to facilitate use of the garment and a carrying case into which the garment may be folded to serve as a cushion when the protector is not needed.

- Patenhd Aug.10,1971- 2 Sheets-Shea: 1

Harry B. Pavey INVIZNTOR.

Patented Aug. 10, 1971 Fig. 5

2 Sheets-Sheet l Harry B. Povey INVEN'I'OK.

SPECTATOR PROTECTOR The present invention generally relates to a protective garment especially adapted for use by spectators at outdoor winter sports such as football games or the like.

One of the problems encountered by spectators when attending winter sporting events that are performed outdoors is the discomfort and possible frostbite of the legs and feet. Protective garments for the upper portion of the body, such as coats, jackets and the like, provided with hoods to enclose a major portion of the head, are well known and perform satisfactorily as far as they extend. Also, adequate gloves are available for protecting the hands and, in some instances. mask devices are provided for protecting the face. However, such garments fail to protect the legs and feet of a spectator. While lap rugs, blankets and the like have been employed to a certain degree of success, they leave much to be desired in view of the unwieldy nature thereof and the fact that each time the spectator moves, the lap rug or blanket falls off or becomes displaced.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spectator in the form of a tubular garment generally in the nature of the lower half of a sleeping bag having a bottom panel forming a substantially flat area for receiving the feet of the wearer and an insulated peripheral panel enclosing the body of the wearer up to an area adjacent the waist region with a slide-type closure being provided for the front of the garment to enable the garment to be easily donned and removed.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gar ment in accordance with the preceding object having a cushion incorporated therein to form a cushioned seat when the garment is used in the normal manner with the cushion in the seat being preferably in the form of an inflatable pillow.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a spectator protector in accordance with the preceding objects in which the bottom panel is provided with a thickness of foam rubber, foam plastic or an inflatable pillow to insulate the feet from the supporting surface with which they normally would be engaged and also to provide a cushion therefor.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a garment in accordance with the preceding objects in which the waistband thereof is elasticized to provide a snug fit around the waist of the wearer with the entire device being constructed of relatively lightweight materials capable of adequate thermal insulation.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a spectator protector together with a carrying case therefor in which the garment can be folded and stored with the carrying case then serving as a seat cushion to enhance the comfort of the spectator when the protective garment is not needed and also to effectively elevate the spectator above the surface of the seat to enable better observation of the sporting event.

Another feature of the present invention resides in its simplicity of construction, effective protection for the user and its relatively inexpensive manufacturing cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the spectator protector being used in the manner intended;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the spectator protector illustrating the tubular construction thereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the spectator protector folded and inserted into a carrying case therefor;

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the elastic waistband;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the spectator protector illustrating the structural features thereof and the association with the user;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the carrying case and spectator protector folded therein as a seat cushion;

FIG. 7 is a detail sectional view of the bottom panel structure of the protector; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmental sectional view illustrating the carrying case structure and the manner in which the protector is folded into the carrying case with the inflatable cushion against an inner surface of the carrying case.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the spectator protector is generally designated by the numeral [0 and is primarily intended for use by spectators 12 at an outdoor winter sporting event with the spectator normally occupying a seat I4 along a bench supported in spaced relation to a concrete or other supporting structure I6. The particular construction of the stadium or arena is of no particular importance since the protector 10 may be used wherever desired including areas that do not include seats of the nature illustrated. For example, the protector could be used while sitting on the ground surface, standing or in any other situation in which the person using the device desires to maintain his legs I8 and feet 20 in a warm and protected condition. As illustrated, the upper portion of the user I2 is protected by an adequate coat or jacket, the hands are protected by gloves 22 and the head protected by a hood 24.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5, the spectator protector includes a substantially tubular garment generally designated by the numeral 30 which includes an outer peripheral fabric member 32 and an inner peripheral fabric member 34 defining a space therebetween which may be filled with insulating material 36. The upper edge of the outer fabric material 32 is reversely folded to form a hem 38 at the upper edge thereof which has the upper edge of the inner fabric material 34 secured thereto as by stitching 40 or the like. Disposed in the hem 40 is an elastic cord 42 which has the ends thereof terminally secured to the opposite edge of the vertical opening 44 formed in the hem 38 which provides an entrance slit for the garment 30. Thus, the waist encircling portion of the garment 30 will be retained in snug-fitting engagement with the waist region of the user 12. The entrance slit 44 extends not only through the hem 38 but downwardly over a major portion of the front of the garment as indicated by numeral 46 and this is closed by a zipper-type closure 48 of conventional construction and including the usual slider 50. The vertical slit 44 in the waist region is closed by a strap 52 adjustably engaged with a buckle 54 to enable the protector to be easily donned and removed.

The lower end of the tubular garment 30 is closed by a bottom panel 56 of foam rubber or plastic which has a fabric panel 58 extending along the bottom surface thereof and curved upwardly around the edges of the panel 56 as at 60 and then inwardly into overlying relation to the bottom edge of the inner and outer panels 32 and 34 and secured thereto by stitching 62 as illustrated in FIG. 7.

The foam rubber panel 56 forms a flexible but yet definitive bottom for the tubular garment 30 and is ofa sufficient size to receive the feet 20 of the user so that the feet may rest against the upper surface of the panel 56. The foam rubber panel 56 thus not only insulates the feet from the cold concrete deck 16 but also cushions the feet to increase the comfort of the user.

In the rear of the tubular garment, there is provided an in flatable cushion 64 interposed between the inner and outer fabric members 32 and 34 with the inflatable panel being retained in position by peripheral stitching 66 between the inner and outer panels 32 and 34. The cushion 64 is relatively thin and is inflated in any suitable manner such as by the provision of a tube or valve adapted to be inflated by the user employing his mouth to inflate the cushion 64. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the cushion is provided in an area that it will be interposed between the upper surface of the seat 14 and the portion of the user normally resting on the seat I4 to further increase the comfort of the user.

By using the spectator protector, the spectator can stand whenever desired with the bottom panel 56 providing adequate space to enable the user 12 to stand with his feet sufficiently apart to provide adequate stability. The seat cushion 64 will be in proper position when the spectator sits back down. The girth of the protector is sufficient to enable the user thereof to move his legs, knees and the like and if the spectator desires to move about the stadium or arena, such as when obtaining refreshments or the like, it is quite easy to disconnect the buckle and strap assembly, zip the slider 50 down and step out of the garment and it is also quite easy to again get into the garment or protector when the spectator returns to his seat.

The bottom panel 56 may be an inflatable pillow or cushion similar to the cushion 64 if desired which will enable the device to be folded into a more compact condition since the inflatable bottom cushion would be collapsed. Also, the seat cushion 64 may be inflatable as illustrated or it also may be constructed of foam rubber or plastic of a thickness sufficient to comfortably support the user.

Also, the material from which the tubular garment 30 is constructed may be varied in that any suitable thermal insulating material may be employed which will retain the body heat and yet is quite light in construction so that it may be folded into a very small size. There have been recent commercial developments of such insulating materials and it is within the purview of this invention to employ any suitable material from which the spectator protector may be effectively constructed. Thus, the size of the spectator protector may vary when in the folded or collapsed condition so that it may be conveniently carried to and from the stadium and easily stored in a relatively small space. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the spectator protector has been folded and inserted into a carrying case 70 having carrying handles 72 attached thereto and a slide-type fastener assembly 74 extending around a major portion of the periphery thereof to provide a carrying case for the folded protective garment 10. When folding the garment 10, the seat cushion 64 should be oriented uppermost and the foot panel oriented lowermost or vice versa to provide an effective cushion when used as illustrated in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 illustrates the association of the inflatable pillow or cushion disposed adjacent the bottom surface of the carrying case which may be constructed of suitable fabric or canvaslike material having any desired color or configuration. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the fabric material 76 from which the case 70 is constructed includes a beading 78 around the periphery at the corners thereof to provide a neat and attractive carrying case which is not too large nor too heavy to be effectively carried to the stadium by the spectator and carried away from the stadium when the sporting event has been completed.

The inflatable cushion 64 forming the seat cushion may also be constructed of a resilient foam plastic or the like so that both cushions 56 and 64 may be either inflatable or constructed of foam material.

The exterior of the carrying bag is weatherproof and should be of durable material and the exterior of the garment 30 is also weatherproof and should be constructed of durable material with the inner surface thereof being in the form of quilted padding or other thermal-type material. While the device has been illustrated to receive a single spectator, it is within the purview of this invention to construct the device of a size to receive more than on spectator oriented alongside of each other. Also, if desired, closable slit-type openings may be provided in the side portions of the spectator protector to enable the hands to be inserted into the interior of the protector if desired to be able to use the hands at certain periods such as to applaud which cannot be effectively accomplished when gloves are worn thus further enhancing the enjoyment of the sporting event by the spectator.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

I claim:

I. A protective garment for spectators at outdoor winter sporting events comprising, a tubular garment having an upper edge adapted to encircle the waist region of a wearer and provided with a hem having an elastic member disposed therein, said tubular garment including an outer peripheral fabric and an inner peripheral fabric with a space therebetween, insulating material filling at least part of said space, a bottom panel including a cushion and outer bottom fabric forming a closure for the lower end of the tubular garment and adapted to extend under the feet of a wearer, means fastening the lower ends of said inner and outer fabrics to said bottom fabric, a vertical entrance slit extending downwardly from the upper edge of the tubular garment, said elastic member being anchored to said tubular garment adjacent the ends of said slits, means selectively closing said slit to enable the garment to be donned and removed, and means defining a seat cushion between said inner and outer peripheral fabrics for cushioning a wearer when seated upon a supporting surface and including a substantially airtight, inflatable cushion and means permitting inflation of said cushion, means fastening said inner and outer fabrics together around the periphery of said cushion to retain it in position relative to said tubular garment.

2. The structure as defined in claim I wherein said means fastening the lower ends of the inner and outer fabric to said bottom fabric includes stitches extending thcrethrough and through said bottom cushion.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said means fastening said inflatable cushion includes stitches extending around the periphery of said inflatable cushion.

4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said means selectively closing said slit includes adjustable fastening means attached to said tubular garment and said elastic member adjacent the ends of said slit for retaining the upper edge of said tubular garment around the waist region ofthe wearer. 

1. A protective garment for spectators at outdoor winter sporting events comprising, a tubular garment having an upper edge adapted to encircle the waist region of a wearer and provided with a hem having an elastic member disposed therein, said tubular garment including an outer peripheral fabric and an inner peripheral fabric with a space therebetween, insulating material filling at least part of said space, a bottom panel including a cushion and outer bottom fabric forming a closure for the lower end of the tubular garment and adapted to extend under the feet of a wearer, means fastening the lower ends of said inner and outer fabrics to said bottom fabric, a vertical entrance slit extending downwardly from the upper edge of the tubular garment, said elastic member being anchored to said tubular garment adjacent the ends of said slits, means selectively closing said slit to enable the garment to be donned and removed, and means defining a seat cushion between said inner and outer peripheral fabrics for cushioning a wearer when seated upon a supporting surface and including a substantially airtight, inflatable cushion and means permitting inflation of said cushion, means fastening said inner and outer fabrics together around the periphery of said cushion to retain it in position relative to said tubular garment.
 2. The structure as defined in claim 1 wherein said means fastening the lower ends of the inner and outer fabric to said bottom fabric includes stitches extending therethrough and through said bottom cushion.
 3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said means fastening said inflatable cushion includes stitches extending around the periphery of said inflatable cushion.
 4. The structure as defined in claim 3 wherein said means selectively closing said slit includes adjustable fastening means attached to said tubular garment and said elastic member adjacent the ends of said slit for retaining the upper edge of said tubular garment around the waist region of the wearer. 